Museum "Children swallowed up by War"

Memorial Complex "Children swallowed up by War"

In memory of children — victims of war, the memorial complex "Children swallowed up by War" was opened in Krasny Bereg on June 28, 2007.

The memorial was designed by a creative workshop under the supervision of the Honored Architect of the Republic of Belarus, Lenin Prize Laureate, Honorary Citizen of Zhlobin district Leonid Mendelevich Levin. The memorial was conceived as a panorama deployed in space, a path, the tragedy of which the viewer can understand only by walking along one of the rays of the City of the Sun. The center of the composition is the "Sun Square". The "rays-alleys" diverge throughout the apple orchard. One of the rays — the "Ray of Memory" (black), is the main entrance to the memorial. On the way, the visitor is first met by a thin figure of a teenage girl (author — sculptor A. Finsky). Then the path passes through the "Dead Class" of white empty desks and a school board. It shows the last will and testament of 15-year-old Katya Susanina to her father from fascist captivity. Behind the blackboard is the brightest and most iridescent part of the memorial — "Sun Square". In the center of the square is the "White ship", symbolizing dreams that were not destined to come true. Here, on the square, are 24 stained-glass easels made from the drawings of children of war.

Museum "Children swallowed up by War"

The museum consists of an exposition, exhibition, cinema and lecture halls. The museum also has Leonid Levin’s memorial room. The exposition hall is divided into several themes: pre-war childhood, the period of occupation, partisans and underground fighters, the transit camp in Krasny Bereg and Ostarbeiter children, the liberation of Belarus and the post-war period. The exhibition hall displays works by students of additional education schools in the city of Zhlobin, as well as paintings by members of the Belarusian Union of Artists.

In collaboration with Galina Levina, Leonid Levin’s memorial room, the architect of the memorial complex "Children swallowed up by War", was created. It reflects not only the history of Leonid Mendelevich's work on the memorial in Krasny Bereg, but also his creative path, and reveals him as a person. The theme of memorialization of memorable places through the eyes of a former child of war is touched upon.

Our museum is a unique space where history comes to life through the prism of children's eyes. Here you can see how war changes the fates of the most vulnerable — children. The museum's exposition conveys their experiences, dreams and hopes, making you think about irreparable losses and the resilience of the human spirit.